6 months ago I began taking maca root as a supplement. i originally wanted to experiment with it having read all the good benefits. i also began practicing kundalini yoga everyday, altering my diet, removing caffeine, increasing protein (I'm vegetarian). i have done alot of cleansing over the years, parasite, bowel, liver/gallbladder... have not done the latter recently though.

what has happened is an increase in breast size. I went from a A cup to completely filling out a size B cup! it was so dramatic my ex-boyfriend was shocked one day when I was wearing a bikini top, my massage therapist indirectly asked if i had breast implant surgery and my mom thought i was pregnant (which I am clearly not - I have not been sexually active during this time at all).

The only thing I can think is the maca root. Hormonal changes?

Has any one had this experience?

Also the last two periods, i have been having irregular menstral cycles. I have my regular cycle at my regular time, it ends within 3-4 days ( as usual) then in 1 week or 1 week and half i have it again for a couple days. i thought it might be stress the first time, but the second time i am not sure. i have stopped taking the maca root a week ago... but it happened anyway.

How old are you? You speak about your mom, so I am guessing you are still in high school? It is common for high school and college aged girls(in their twenties) breasts to grow. your mom thought you were pregnant, so must still be young if you are child bearing age. Nothing amazing about your growing breasts. It is natural for your breasts to grow at your age.

Also, if you are no longer a vegetarian and you are eating more meat based protein like you said you are then your breasts will grow. Vegetarians don't normally have large breasts because they don't eat meat(that is why your's were small), but since you are eating meat and more protein then they will grow. It is common what is happening to you and your breasts.

Presumptuous, not based on facts or reality, this: "Vegetarians don't normally have large breasts BECAUSE THEY DON'T EAT MEAT," is a HUGE assumption on your part, that is not science, that is ridiculous. I'm vegan, wear a 32DD, which is large for my size. I am not the exception. I know plenty of vegetarians with big breasts. Maybe you could say there are many thin vegetarians, so they're nit overweight, so they're breasts are not huge due to fat, but it has nothing to do with not eating meat. I know overweight vegetarians, they have large breasts because they have more fat in their bodies. I know skinny vegetarians with large breasts, because that's the way they're bodies are shaped. On to of all that, "large" is an extremely relative term. Please, don't spread over-generalizations that contribute to someone stereotyping people incorrectly just so you feel smart.

I agree that vegatarianism isn't associated with small boobies, quite the opposite. There are some theories about the soy, some guys even commented that slim vegetarian ladies often have large breasts.

Anyway I'm 46 and took Maca to regulate hormones,to stop tension, brain fog and other menopause symptoms. A happy side effect is, like original poster, my boobs grew. In my case, from a small B to a C cup. I'm just wondering why a young lady was advised to take Maca? it's as far as I know for peri/menopausal ladies. I was warned that the Maca could cause irregular bleeding and that it can increase bum and breast size.

You just take a quarter of a teaspoon to start and build up to a larger dose, if you need to, slowly. The original poster seems to have a dramatic result in hormone reaction, perhaps she is taking too much. Maca is fairly potent. I would advise her to speak to a holistic health practitioner. Maybe Maca isn't what she needed, or maybe less of it?

The increase in breast size sounds like maca. They learned about it in Peru from animals eating it and being more reproductive. I have been making money for 8 years as a distributor for a company selling herbal combinations of wild growing herbs from the Amazon rainforest.

The maca grows in the Andes mountains and is loaded with vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and E. Also contains steroidal glycosides.

But your problem with menses is very, very, very, very common in our world of pollution, stress and medications especially if you ever took bc pills. Also the hormones in the meat and some plastics have an effect on female hormones and is making puberty in girls happen at younger ages. Many girls start menstruating at 9 years old now!

We have an herbal formula that contains suma (containing plant sterols and is similar to maca), maca and muira puama. It is our anti-aging product and does wonders for women going thru menopause and post-menoopause.

Maca is known for energy, longevity, fertility and supports healthy sexual function. The same with suma and muira puama promotes a healthy nervous system and healthy sexual function. The sex glands are part of the the endocrine system which produces hormones and so is the main thing for longevity.

You can see this webpage about how diet affects menstruation with link to scientific study and how vegetarian diet fits in.

Then you can see vegetarian page for nutrients you may be missing. Then on the home page about healthy diet and losing weight it tells how Americans are dying from way too much protein in their diet. Even has link to American Heart Association saying not to eat more than 6 ounces daily of meat, fish or poultry.

Also fat loss tip # 11 has links to 2 articles by 2 female MDs saying that bc pills can cause yeast infections, obesity, depression, infertility, strokes and breast cancer. At the bottom of the page it has a link to my site with the herbal products. I have been taking that formula with maca everyday for 8 years except when I fast. Five months ago I fasted for 22 days drinking only pure water. Fasting is best thing for anti-aging. Maca is good for you. Pollution, drugs (medications--like Vioxx), genetically modified foods, foods with pesticides and irradiated foods are bad for you.

Hi and thanks for the link about Mensturation and Diet and maca root info. I have been on a raw food diet mostly (about 80% raw food) I eat very little meat. Some fish and that is all. I added it for more balance in choices of protien. Otherwise my protein sources are hemp, soya or whey powders and eggs, raw nuts and some lentil/beans.

After reading your article I started to wonder if I have been toxic from not my diet but my water source over the last couple months. The water where I am staying is tap water that goes through a britta filter. Normally, I drink purified water that I buy. I have been staying with family and this britta water is what they drink.

This could relate to what your article said about toxicity causing irregular mensturation, blood flow, pms etc. Just a week ago I just stopped drinking the tap water. I insisted my family on getting a water dispenser with regular weekly bottle delivery of purified water. They did so reluctantly but I have noticed a big change in my energy levels. I feel like my energetic self again. They too are noticing differences in themselves.

This months cycle may be back to normal. I will post my results.

I am inspired by your article discussing a healthy female cycle with no blood flow. I would love for this to occur. I think the thing for me to do now is switch only to organic foods and increase my meditation/yoga to reduce stress on my body. Again I will post results. Does it always take 18 months?

I LOVE Maca. I have been taking it for probably over a year for energy. I am 45 and have a high energy physical job. I do not take it every day but most days, probably around 4 x 500mg caps each time, sometimes more or less. My mood is generally happy, light, up beat and sharp. Recently, in the past 3 months I have noticed increased breast tenderness around the time of ovulation, to the point that if someone hugs me I can shoot through the roof (metaphorically). My breasts have also grown a cup size, and my periods have been acting strangely, spotting a few days before full flow is due. I generally feel great though and I love feeling fuller breasts as they seemed to shrink during breast feeeding my child 8 years ago.
For ref I use organic 'Herbs America' maca magic caps.
Just posting wondering what you other ladies are going through. Hope this helps.

thank you for that site on diet and menstruation. I have never got menstruation and many different doctors gave me dozens of pills and even injections over years! I was always ashamed (!!!) for not having periods like other girls and afraid I am not able to have children! I am so revealed by the article that u posted. I read on that topic in the book about raw foods by Helmut Wandmaker.

I was looking for info on maca and speeding up menstrual cycle. I now see your text was 2 years ago but want to add info for anyone else. I believe your cycle was caused by the maca because that is what happened to me and nothing else could have caused it. I have no massive changes in food, nor do I exercise.

I started maca 3 weeks ago after looking for something to help balace hormones hoping to get rid of my large fibroids. I started with 1/2 tsp of maca powder I bought at a herb store for 1st 2 days then went to 1 tsp. Period started 4 days after taking maca. Period lasted about 5 days tapering off on 6th day. I continued to take 1 tsp of maca during cycle. Experienced moderate breast tenderness; know it was maca affecting my hormones because I rarely have even mild breast tenderness.

On 7th days after perior, I began 1/2 tsp of maca morning, 1/2 tsp afternoon and 1 tsp evening. 9 days later I began another periord. NOT HAppy! I dropped back to 1 tsp of maca in morning on the 3rd day of this cycle. No breast tenderness this time. Hope this helps someone. Key: Start slow and don't increase dosage too fast. I can't say that it gives me more energy because I don't sleep well because of getting up at night to use the bathroom because of fibroids pressing on bladder and I am a light sleeper disturbed by noise and TV's. I do feel better physically. I will continue to take maca and monitor my progress.

I put about 1/2 tablespoon of powdered gelatinized maca root in a smoothie every day for 3 or 4 days. I took it when I started to suspect I was peri-menopausal or suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, since I got positive ovulation test strips for 2 weeks.

I stopped for 3 days when I went away and didn't bring the maca root. Four days after my last ingestion of maca, I had a period---just one week after my last period.

I also seemed to gain weight during this period. It might be water weight.

I wonder if maca stimulates or acts as a phytoestrogen---in other words, a plant-based estrogen imitator. Soy is also a phytoestrogen.

To have all the hormone-balancing effects it is purported to have, it must stimulate some kind of hormonal outcome.
The claim that it does that simply by providing vitamins and minerals is silly.

I noticed that women trying to expand their bust and butt measurements are taking maca, too.